Hanging By a Moment
by FeralElektra
Summary: What if Sydney Bristow used the undercover mission with Simon to get out? What if Sark knew what happened to her during those two years? And what if they made a deal to help each other out?
1. Deep Cover

What if Sydney Bristow used the undercover mission with Simon to get out? What if she ditched Vaughn and Weiss as soon as she could? What if Sark had escaped after just a few months in custody, but had been captured again just before Sydney resurfaced? It starts within 'A Missing Link'. Everything previous more or less happened the way it is in the show.

* * *

"Agent Bristow got Bogdan to admit there is a second heist in the works. While we believe the stolen samples have already been delivered to the Covenant, Bogdan says they will not be used until after this second job." Lauren explained as she leant against the desk behind her.

"He said they were planning to modify the virus," Sydney added. She sat in the briefing room trying to focus on what the others were discussing. She knew it would be important and she knew she would scream if Vaughn sent anymore worried glances her way. She snapped back to attention when Marshall stood up nervously. Whatever he had to say would be key.

"Okay, well, um…what they nabbed, we'll call that…um, peanut butter…you know… yummy, nutty, creamy deliciousness," Dixon shot him a look. "…on its own, but you, um, mix something else in equally tasty…oh! Perhaps chocolat…"

"Marshall," Dixon warned.

"Sorry…they're most likely going after the means to _mutate_ the virus to make it even _more_ infectious…"

"Ebola is a level 4 pathogen; that's the _highest_ classification…How could it be any worse!?" Sydney asked in confusion. She knew she probably would regret asking.

"They could make it airborne," Marshall replied. Sydney looked up at him in disbelief. _Yup that is worse,_ she thought sarcastically.

"And we have no idea what the Covenant's endgame is," she added looking around at the others. For a group that for her had only just emerged she feared them quite a lot. Had they taken the two years from her? Or was it Sloane? She thought the latter was more likely.

"No. But we _do_ know who the _team_ is they hired for these jobs…Simon Walker…point man on the Damascus armoury job in '99…and the 2002 break-in at Vector. Cold-blooded contract guy; only uses other freelancers. This time his team included Javier Parez, former Lieutenant in Cuban Special Forces; munitions expert and tactical advisor to the group. Avery Russet, acquisitions…vehicles, equipment, weapons. Finally, Laszlo Bogdan, security…_deceased_ as of twenty minutes ago…" She shared a look with Lauren over the news of Bogdan's death.

"You want me to take Bogdan's place on their team," Sydney stated.

"Walker's already been picked up on Echelon. We know he's in the market…" Lauren informed her. It would be so much easier if they would openly hate each other Sydney thought. Maybe it would stop the looks from Vaughn and the other Agents.

"It's deep cover." Sydney was pleased; it was a way to be out of the office, to get lost in someone else's life. "The risks are obvious…but this is an opportunity. The Covenant will take possession of whatever the team steals. If you can place a tracking device on that, we believe it will lead us to their centre of operations. Walker's in Sevilla; you'll go in as a freelance security expert," Dixon handed Sydney a folder. "Vaughn and Weiss, you're on backup." He turned his attention to Lauren. "Lauren, I want you to go see Sloane; have him use his contacts…find out what they're after." He faced Sydney. "You leave in two hours."

Sydney was deeply engrossed in studying the op notes. She was already half way through them when Vaughn slid into the seat opposite. She silently prayed he would get up again, but he didn't. Her pain was still fresh; after all for her it was only a few weeks ago that they had been on their way to Santa Barbara. She looked up at him.

"We can't risk them picking up any stray radio transmissions, so I'll be monitoring you with a laser mike; I'll be able to hear you, but you won't be able to communicate with me," he explained, then held out the tube he had been fiddling with.

"What's this?" she asked, taking it from him.

"That's the tracking device. Marshall put a transmitter chip there on the back. There's an adhesive." Marshall really was a genius. "Now, assuming Simon accepts you into the group, you'll use that to tag whatever it is you're gonna be stealing, and we'll track it back to the Covenant." Sydney removed the cover and rolled up the lipstick.

"You know, peach isn't really in this season," she joked.  
"I heard peach was the new green." Vaughn replied, playing along. He smiled softly at her.  
"I thought beige was the new green…" Sydney smiled.  
"No, beige is the new peach." Vaughn's smile grew. He was happy he could still joke with Sydney. He blamed himself for the pain behind her eyes. He constantly wanted to comfort her, but he was married. Sydney nodded at him, grinning.

"Okay…" she replied, they smiled at each other for a few seconds until Vaughn's face clouded with angst. Sydney resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Their lives were different now.

"You've got a lot of reading to do," Vaughn said before vacating his seat.

Too different.

* * *

**Sevilla**

It was show time. Sydney felt the adrenaline flow through her veins. It happened every time she began a mission. Music drifted out of the doorway towards her. It was Spanish guitar music. Sydney could picture the people inside dancing to it; she could hear the sounds of people enjoying themselves. She ran a hand through her now longer brown hair and glanced at her outfit: a black tank and leather trousers. She took a breath and strutted into the club, it was exactly like she had pictured. Men and women flamenco danced as people watched and talked.

She saw a guard standing by a flight of stairs and headed over to him. Step one: get upstairs.

"You can't go up. Private party," the guard told her in Spanish.

"Let me make it worth your while."

"No, the gentlemen inside already have," he replied. _Damn, would have been too easy._

"Please, walk away for your own good…" the guard added. He pulled back his coat and showed her his gun underneath. "…or I'll have to accompany you." Sydney looked at him and gestured that she didn't care. She turned to walk away. Her mind whirled over what she could do to get upstairs, was there another staircase? The guard grabbed Sydney's arm suddenly. She had seen him touch his comm. device.

"Excuse me, ma'am. Mr. Walker would like to speak to you," he told her, still in Spanish. Sydney thanked him and climbed the staircase. She saw the man she recognized as Walker walk towards her.

"Hello," Sydney started.

"Hello," Simon Walker replied. He moved closer to Sydney and gave her a long kiss. After he pulled back surprise flickered in Sydney's eyes, but she quickly hid it.

"Good to see you, Julia," he added. _I was right_, Sydney thought. Lazarey had called her Julia. _I must have known him_.

"Good to see you too." They shared a smile.

"Where the bloody hell have you been?"

"Isn't that the question of the day?" Sydney replied, as she lounged across her seat.

"Oh, come on, I _know_ you can do better than that…"  
"A girl's gotta have some secrets…" she replied mysteriously.  
Walker: "All right, look, all right, at _least_ tell me what's with the new look… I barely recognized you…"  
"I hope you weren't disappointed…" she really didn't care if he was. She knew Brits weren't to be trusted, just look at Sark.  
"No. No…but I've missed you…Julia…" She looked at him blankly.  
"Uh, you know…I've missed _working_ with you…"  
"Why do you think I came back?" She liked this role, found it easy to play, with the exception of not fully understanding what relationship between him and Julia was. Walker laughed.  
"You're a right nutter, you are…"

"I heard about Bogdan," she said, changing the subject. Walker looked away, he wiped his eye. _He actually cared about Bogdan?_  
Yeah….that was too bad. Now, you never met Bogdan?" It was half question, half statement. Sydney shook her head slightly. Bogdan hadn't recognised her so it was safe to assume they had never met.  
"No."  
"Yeah, you'd have liked him."  
"I wanna take his place," she told him.  
"Well, as it happens, we _do_ have a job coming up…but Bogdan was security."  
"I know," she replied. Walker picked up his glass and took a sip. He smirked slightly.

"What? No future in murder?" _Does that mean I was an assassin? It wasn't just Lazarey?_  
"I am…a girl with many talents," _thank god the CIA taught me how to compartmentalise. _Walker nodded in agreement.  
"Yeah…"  
"And I'm your man," she ignored the insinuation. Walker looked thoughtful.

* * *

**Right, here I'm going to skip until when Sark comes to talk to Walker, if not it'll just be too much retelling. It all happens as it does in the episode until this point when I will be changing it. Review!**


	2. Benefits

It will get better in the next few chapters. I felt I needed to set the scene with what happened in the show, but it will soon leave that path...

* * *

Walker walked into the room and looked at Parez.

"She's good." _So it was him who doubted me. I'll have to do something about that._ She watched as Parez rolled his eyes in disbelief. She smiled at him.

"Okay. We're hitting a storage facility 35 miles outside of Saragossa run by the Disease Control Ministry. Now, to get in, we have to cut the power, which is gonna trigger an off-site security response. This gives us five minutes to get in, get the package and get out. Our target's a biological agent." Walker informed the group; he opened his mouth to speak again, but was distracted by his mobile phone. He fished it out of his pocket.

"Hello? Good…yeah, come in," he ended the call. He looked at Parez. "Take over."

"Inside the box is a small canister the size of a fist, which we'll be transferring to portable cooler." Parez explained, eying Sydney. He obviously didn't trust her. "Now, keep in mind, once you've opened the safe, you only have one minute to remove the canister before it self-destructs, which means the transfer should be smooth…and instantaneous." Sydney nodded and heard Walker re-enter the room followed by another pair of footsteps. Sydney guessed it was a man.

"The shift rotation's been changed. We'll have to adjust our timetables accordingly, but that shouldn't change any of our plans," an annoying British voice said. It was a different accent to Walker's. Sydney slowly stood up. She couldn't let Sark see her face. She glanced at the two Brits and was horrified to see Sark looking back at her. "Well Mr Walker, I do believe you failed to mention the fact that you relocated Ms Thorne." Simon followed his gaze and saw Sydney. She waited for Sark to inform Simon of her true identity. Simon smiled at her and ushered her over.

"I didn't think it mattered who was in the team, Mr Sark," Simon replied. "Just that the job was completed." Sark seemed to think over what Walker had just said. He smirked slightly.

"Of course, is your team aware of the fragile nature of the item?" Sark asked, not taking his eyes off of Sydney. She looked back blankly.

"Yeah," Walker replied, he was uncomfortable as Sark openly stared at Julia.

"By my calculations, we'll have to move everything up three hours," Sark said, he looked directly at Walker. "When you recover the item, contact me, and we'll exchange it for the remainder of your fee."

"Now that's sporting…"

"Good luck," Sark replied as he turned to leave. He stopped. "Ms Thorne, may I have a word?" Sydney glanced at Simon before she nodded and followed Sark. They left the room in silence. Sydney had no idea what to expect. Sark hadn't said anything to Walker about her, why hadn't he? It seemed like just the thing he would do. "Well, Agent Bristow, what a pleasant surprise."

"What do you want Sark?" Sydney snapped.

"You ought to be nicer Ms Bristow," Sark smirked. "After all, I believe you are at my mercy right now." Sydney resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She didn't need this. "Am I correct in guessing that your precious Vaughn is listening?" Sydney remained silent. "I thought so." She raised an eyebrow.

"You wanted to talk, so talk."

"I believe I was."

"About something relevant," Sydney added. Sark smirked at her again.

"Firstly I would like you to remove your comm. device," Sydney glared at him.

"Not gonna happen."

"Well then I guess I will have to turn you in," the British assassin replied. He turned to the door and started towards it.

"Wait," Sydney said quickly. She sighed and removed the one way transmitter. "There, now what?"

"I'd like to offer you a deal," he informed her.

"I'm not working for you Sark," she spat.

"I think if you listened to what I have to say, you may change that view."

"Humour me," Sydney replied. There was no way she would work with an assassin. A thought niggled at the back of her mind. Hadn't she been an assassin during her missing years? _I don't know that for sure_, she told herself. Sark looked momentarily surprised before he continued.

"Well then: you cannot remember the past two years; I can help you recover your memories."

"And why would you ever want to help me, Sark? Has hell frozen over?"

"On the contrary, it would simply benefit me if you remembered." That sounded more like the Sark Sydney knew, a selfish son of a bitch.

"Of course," she replied dryly. "But that begs the question: how would you know? You were locked up for those two years."

"The CIA lied to you there," Sark smirked. "They did capture me as you well know, but I escaped a few months after your 'death.'"

"But you were there when I came back…"

"Yes," Sark said simply. He turned his attention to the door as Simon strode through it.

"You've been most helpful Mr Sark, I'll consider it," Sydney said.

"Not for too long I hope," Sark replied, he bowed his head slightly. "I'll be in touch." He left without another word.

"What was that about Jules?" Simon asked her.

"You wouldn't believe me if I said," Simon shrugged and led her back to the team.

* * *

The team waited until sundown before they made their move. Sydney was seated between Parez and Simon, not a great place to be. On the drive to their destination Sydney had had a lot of time to think things through. She relished the freedom she had; she didn't have to check in with the CIA – that was the beauty of deep cover missions. The ever-present danger was a small price to pay, and she was always in some form of danger any way. She hadn't had chance to switch the transmitter back on, Parez had watched her closely from the moment she had re-entered the room with Walker. She knew the CIA, and especially Vaughn, would be worried. Her dad was probably out searching for her. The deal Sark had offered her was on her mind as well. Had he been right when he had said the CIA had lied to her? What motive did they have to do so? What did it matter that Sark had escaped for 18 months? Could she live with herself if she worked with him? What could he gain from her remembering? Hundreds of questions floated through her mind.

"Everything alright, Jules?" Simon asked her.

"As always," she replied, she smiled to reiterate her lie.

"Good, we're here." He stopped the truck as a guard waved at him.

"You're not on the list," the guard stated in Spanish. Simon handed the guard a clipboard through the open window. The guard took it and studied the information. "What are the inventory numbers?" Sydney watched as Walker shot the guard in the neck. She kept her features neutral, but inside she was objecting. She quickly pulled out a touch screen computerised item.

"It'll take me a minute to hack into central security…Shutting the power off…We have access to building three," she announced. Walker smiled at her and restarted the engine.

"We've got five minutes before their guards show up," Simon informed the team as they exited the vehicle. They hurried into the building and searched for a specific cooler. "Julia, you're up," he called to her. She jogged towards him and set up her equipment, a laptop and the device Marshall had given her. She cut two wires on the cooler's keypad before she attached them to her device. She attached the other part of the device to the cooler door. She turned her attention to the computer and typed in a code. She inhaled sharply as 'Access Denied' flashed on the screen.

"Babe, what's the problem?" Walker asked her.  
"Standard Algorithm Decryption should have worked; I'll need to map their security." She replied quickly, luckily she was good at her job.  
"How long will that take?"  
"I don't know," she replied, irritated.  
"You only have thirty seconds left…" he added. She glanced at Parez, only to find he looked as if he had expected her to fail. Sydney felt anger mix with adrenaline. She went back to the combination panel and cut another wire.  
"I knew we couldn't rely on her…"  
"Keep your mouth shut and maybe we'll walk out of here," she snapped as she took the freshly cut wire and spliced it onto the keyboard. She rushed back to the computer.  
"Julia…three seconds…" Walker warned. Sydney managed to break the code just before time ran out. The safe opened before them. Sydney shot Parez a defiant look.  
"They customized the hardware…not exactly factory condition," she explained. "Nothing I couldn't handle," she added to Walker. She opened the safe door to reveal a metal canister. Simon removed the canister and places it in the special cooler prepared for it. Sydney took the time to pack her gear up.  
"Security will be here in two minutes…let's go."


	3. Deal with the Devil

**Ok, the chapter size will now shrink slightly for a while, just so I don't catch up with how much I've written! Thanks for the reviews, much appreciated!

* * *

**

"That could have gone badly Jules," Walker said. He sat by the unlit fireplace with Sydney on his lap. She hated to act attracted to people she disliked.

"But it didn't," she said bluntly. He chuckled and kissed her. She smiled and jumped up. "I'm gonna take a walk."  
"Want some company?" He asked.

"No, I need to get out of here for a little while."

"Still don't like to be cooped up I see," Simon grinned. Sydney lent down and kissed him before strutting out of the room. She knew Parez would likely follow her, but she would deal with that if she had to.

The sun blinded her for a few seconds. She blinked to adjust them to the light. She hadn't realised how long they had travelled through the night. She picked a random direction and walked quickly. She found a phone box and quickly dialled her father's mobile number.

"Bristow," he greeted.

"Dad, it's me," she said quickly.

"Sydney," he replied, he sounded relieved. "What happened to your comm. device? Did Sark do something to you?"

"No dad, he didn't. I took it out as he requested."

"Why?"

"I didn't have a choice; anyway I didn't call for a lecture."

"What did he want?"

"He offered me a deal," Sydney informed him. "He would help me with retrieve my memories."

"In return for what?"

"Nothing, apparently it would benefit him to remember."

"Under no circumstances will you agree Sydney," Jack snapped quickly. "It could be a trap." Sydney remained silent. "Sydney?"

"I've got to go, they'll miss me," Sydney lied. "Bye Dad." She hung up the phone and was about to walk away when the phone began to ring. She hesitantly picked it up.

"Hello?"

"That wasn't a wise move Ms Bristow."

"Sark," Sydney growled. "What are you talking about?"

"Informing your father of my offer," he replied. _How did he know that?_ "It was however a good idea to leave it ambiguous. Tell me Sydney, have you reached a decision yet?" She remained silent again. She had come to a decision, but could she go through with it. She had to; she needed to know what happened to her.

"I have," she replied. "I want to know what happened, I don't care that it benefits you."

"I am pleased to hear that Sydney," he told her. "If you accompany Mr Walker to the exchange we can arrange something." The phone clicked and Sydney put down the receiver. Her thoughts flickered to her CIA mission; she still needed to tag the cooler. That was her top priority. She only had a few hours before the trade.

* * *

"Simon," Sydney started as Simon put his coat on. He looked up at her and smiled.

"Yes Babe?"

"I'm coming with you," she stated. "Instead of Parez."

"Now Jules, I don't think that's a good idea."

"But think of the fun we can have after the trade," she flirted. Simon looked startled for a second.

"That sounds like a good idea," he replied, grinning. "Ok, I'll tell Parez, see you in 5. Bring the cooler." He left the room and Sydney rolled her eyes. She quickly pulled out her lipstick and removed the tracer. She planted it on the cooler before grabbing her own jacket and following Walker. She found him waiting by his van. She smiled at him and gave him the cooler before sliding into the passenger seat. She stayed silent on the drive to meet Sark. The fact that she didn't know how it would play out worried her a little. She felt the van slow down and looked out the windscreen to see Sark lent against his car bonnet. He approached the van quickly.

"What's the rush?" Simon asked.

"Timetable's moved up. That's all you need to know." He glanced at Sydney, before he turned to open the briefcase. "There is just one problem."

"And what's that?" Walker asked, Sydney could hear a note of fear in his voice.

"Ms Thorne is to come with me," Sark announced. Walker laughed.

"You're off your rocker, mate."

"I'm glad your humour is in tact," Sark replied. "Now I have added in more money than agreed so that you can drown your sorrows or buy a better whore." Sydney's eyebrows shot up at that comment.

"Now hold on Sark," Simon shouted. "Jules is not a thing to be traded." Sark glanced at her and she nodded.

"But Simon, I want to be traded."

"What?" he asked incredulously

"Well that's settled then, if you'd like to get in the car Ms Thorne, with the cooler if you please." Sydney obeyed, she kissed Simon goodbye. Sark handed the money to Walker. He smirked and got into the driving seat. He put the car in drive and sped into the distance.


	4. Brown

Thanks for the reviews! This isn't the most exciting chapter but bear with me!

* * *

"So Sydney, care to tell me why you were with Simon Walker," Sark asked. Sydney didn't reply. "Ah, you were sent to tag the cooler." _Is there anything he doesn't know?_ Sydney thought angrily. "The CIA is too predictable, and you are too good for them."

"What's your master plan Sark? How will my memories benefit you?" Sydney asked, she wanted to avoid talking about the CIA.

"I'm afraid I can't disclose that information just yet." Sydney almost growled. It had been a mistake to go along with Sark. She should have listened to her father.

"Look, if we're gonna work together, let's get one thing straight."

"What would that be?"

"I want to know exactly what you are up to at every point in this partnership."

"I guess that is fair, but I expect the same in return. It won't be easy Sydney; the people who had you were very high up."

"How much do you know?"

"About as much as you at this point."

"You lied to me, you son of a bitch!"

"I said I could help you, Sydney," Sark said patiently. "Not that I knew all of the answers." He pulled up outside of an unnamed building. He glanced at her before getting out of the car. She silently followed suite, pulling the cool box with her. Sark led the way into the building. It looked like a reception room of a hotel, and a very posh one at that. She stopped looking at the room and hurried over to Sark.

"…reservation for two."

"What was the name sir?" the pretty receptionist asked.

"Brown, Mr and Mrs Brown," Sark informed her, slinging his arm around Sydney's shoulders, Sydney tried to look happy at the gesture. The receptionist smiled and tapped on her keyboard.

"Ah yes, here you are. Room 26," She handed Sark the keys. "Enjoy your stay." Sydney smiled politely and walked to the elevator. The doors closed behind Sark. She immediately disentangled herself from his arm.

"Was that necessary?" Sydney said indignantly.

"Is there a problem Ms Bristow?" Sark asked. "Why else would two people have the Honeymoon Suite?" Sydney bit back a reply, instead settled for glaring at him.

"Why are we here?"

"We have to lie low, Walker won't be happy," Sark told her. The elevator doors opened and they both walked out.

"He doesn't pose a threat," Sydney replied, she covered the shock she felt at Sark admitting to being worried.

"No, but his contacts do," he informed her. He unlocked the hotel room door. Sydney was suddenly struck by how ridiculous her situation was. She was sharing a room with one of the CIA's most wanted. It was a necessary evil, she told herself.

"Why?"

"You ask a lot of questions Ms Bristow," Sark replied. "He has links with high ranking Covenant members."

"But he's a low level thief."

"With high connections," Sark replied, as he set the canister on the desk. He picked up the welcome pack and handed it to Sydney.

"I have some business to attend to. Don't leave this room; feel free to use the facilities." He indicated to the bathroom.

"Sark," the brunette said before he walked out of the room. "Full disclosure: what are you doing?" Sark smirked at her before continuing out of the door. Sydney sighed in frustration and dropped the welcome pack on the table. She scanned the suite. It was decorated in beige and browns, with cream sofas and a light wooden desk. There were two doors leading from the room, as well as the main suite door Sark had just left through.

She pushed open the first one and saw it led to a luxury sized bathroom, complete with Jacuzzi, walk in shower and separate toilet area. The bathroom was also decorated in neutral colours. She closed the door, deciding she would check out the bedroom before washing her hair and removing the extensions. She walked into the bedroom and saw a king-size four poster bed, covered in a rich brown throw. The whole suite was very understated and very…Sark. She wondered if he had stayed there before.

* * *

By the time Sydney had finished in the bathroom, Sark had returned. She left the room, followed by a swirl of steam. She saw Sark look up at her from where he was reading a file. She saw his eyes travel across her body and glared at him. He smirked at her in response.

"Where did you go?" She demanded.

"I told you I had business to conduct," he replied nonchalantly, resuming his reading. The accent grated on Sydney's nerves.

"That's not good enough," she replied. "It clearly wasn't to do with the canister. Are you planning on handing me back to the Covenant?" Sark looked up at her sharply.

"How would that benefit me, Ms Bristow? I would have your father after my blood."

"How unusual," Sydney replied dryly. "It could benefit you in a number of ways Mr Sark."

"They demanded my inheritance Sydney," Sark said patiently. "I want it back."

"How do my memories help with that?"

"I cannot say at this point. Tomorrow we will leave Spain and go in search of them."


	5. The Long Run

"Do we have any leads?"

"There is a doctor in Frankfurt…" Sark trailed off when he saw Sydney's face fall. "What is it?"

"He's dead," she replied with a note of regret in her voice. "He knew what happened to me." She added quietly.

"Yes, I believed he did. Instead we can search through his files." Sydney nodded, it sounded like a long shot to her, but Sark knew what he was doing. "I bought some supplies after I took care of business. You will find everything you need to create a new legend." Sydney nodded again. She went into the bedroom and saw a few bags on the king size bed. She walked over to the closest bag and riffled through it. She pulled out a blonde, shoulder length wig. She could work with that. She went to the second bag and found a skirt that she assumed would come just above the knee and a cute blue sweater. She rolled her eyes. Sark had picked this outfit. She found a pair of heeled shoes underneath the top. The last bag held a gun.

"I trust the outfit is alright?" Sark replied. Sydney spun around and saw him leaning on the doorframe.

"It will do," she replied. "Am I aiming for adolescent?" Sark smirked.

"My aim was for spoilt rich girl, but whatever works for you Sydney." She glared at him again. "Come Sydney, glaring gets you nowhere." She narrowed her eyes. She walked out of the bedroom and grabbed one of the documents Sark had been reading. She scanned the document briefly with her eyes.

"Where did you find this?" she asked.

"From a source," he replied. The document contained information on Julia Thorne. Sydney turned the page and saw a picture of herself as a blonde.

"So I really was active?" She could feel tears in her eyes, she had hoped that the tape had been false, she couldn't understand why she would willingly kill a man in cold blood, it wasn't like her. Hadn't her father made her immune to brainwashing? That meant that she had chosen to do it. Maybe her father's Project Christmas wasn't as good as first thought. But there was a flaw to that as well: people had tried to brainwash her before and failed.

"Yes you were," Sark replied, he smirked again. "Very active."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sydney demanded. She fought the urge to wipe that smirk off his face.

"That's what we're here to find out Syd."

"Don't call me that, Sark," she snapped. "I think you know more than you're letting on." She rushed back into the bedroom and pulled the gun out. She trained it on Sark. "Now I'll ask you again: what was that supposed to mean? Did you know me as Julia Thorne?"

"Sydney, please," Sark replied, coolly. "If you pull the trigger you'll never know."

"The Covenant ordered you to piss me off right? 'Cos you're doing a great job at that."

"The Covenant has nothing to do with my coming to you," he said calmly. "Sydney we have to trust each other, as much as that suits neither of us." Sydney raised an eyebrow.

"Worried I told the CIA where we are?" Sark nodded slightly.

"I've spent enough time in their luxury accommodation to last me a lifetime thank you," he replied sarcastically.

"Trust is pushing it," Sydney replied after a few seconds, she lowered her gun slightly.

"I'd settle for knowing you won't attempt to kill me at every step of this trip."

"Likewise," she agreed.

"Then we have an agreement."

"How do I know you won't betray it?"

"I'm a man of my word." Sydney looked at him in disbelief. "I may be a lot of things Sydney, but I can promise you that."

"We'll see about that," she replied. She lowered the gun completely and tucked it into the back of her trousers.

"Get some rest," Sark added. "We have an early flight."

"What about you?"

"I'll sleep on the settee," he replied. Sydney was surprised. "Unless you want to share…"

"Goodnight Sark," Sydney said firmly.

Sark sighed as he shut the door behind him. This would be a lot harder than he first thought it would be. She really had no memory of what had happened in those years. He didn't want to be the one to tell her. Oh he knew alright, but he knew she would find it difficult to accept and that he would struggle to tell her. He was avoiding the conversation for as long as possible. He could answer her questions right now but she'd leave straight away. _That should be a good thing_, he thought to himself. It would make life less complicated. After all he had to pretend the last few years hadn't happened. It put a lot of strain on him. He sat down on the settee and sighed again. He removed his jacket and placed it over the back of the seat. He picked up the forged Julia Thorne document. A look of guilt flashed through his icy eyes. It was necessary to gain her trust, and though she wouldn't thank him, she may understand in the long run.


	6. Questions

**Right, I've noticed that there is a considerable difference between the 4****th**** and 5****th**** chapter hits, meaning more people have read chapter 5 than chapter 4…I'm just writing this note to make sure everyone has read chapter 4 as well?**

Sydney shrugged into the blue sweater that Sark had given to her. It was tight, but she knew that that had been what he had had in mind. Sydney could distract any man just by being there. She loathed that aspect of her job sometimes, but she knew it was a bonus in most situations. Her skirt was mid thigh length, she had expected it to be a little longer. She had worked with shorter. After dressing, Sydney turned her attention to the wig. With her own hair clipped up, she placed it on her head. Blonde had never been her colour, in her eyes anyway. She tied it into a bouncy ponytail, and then put on her shoes. A knock sounded behind her. Sydney knew it would be Sark so she didn't turn around.

"Yes, that's the look I pictured," Sark announced, his eyes ran over her figure again and smirked. He couldn't help himself, he had always admired her in more ways that one.

"I'll bet," Sydney replied, with her back to him. Sark, himself, was dressed in jeans and a shirt. After all, nobody would be looking at him today. Sydney turned to face him and raised an eyebrow. "Not going to join me in wearing a wig?" The smirk left his face. "Thought not." Sark looked thoughtful.

"What were you doing with Walker?"

"What do you mean?"

"Was it just a CIA orchestrated mission or do you remember?"

"Remember what?" Sark shook his head. "I don't remember anything from those two years Sark," Sydney added. "I was just as shocked as everyone else when Walker knew who I was."

"What did the CIA say to that?"

"I don't know," she replied honestly. "It wasn't a two way comm. device, but they heard everything until you saw me."

"And your dad…"

"Knows you made a deal, by now he'll have guessed I chose to take up the offer. Is this relevant?"

"I thought it important to see if it was necessary to expect company throughout this journey Ms Bristow."

"The CIA won't harm me."

"There are two issues I have with that statement. While they may not harm you, they will not hesitate in my case. That's without taking into consideration that you have willingly allied yourself with a known terrorist." Sydney paused for a second, she had forgotten that the CIA would not hesitate to arrest her if they thought she had gone rogue.

"They're my friends, they won't shoot me and it's not important to me if they happen to get you."

"I would rethink that if I was in your position Sydney," Sark replied.

"And why's that?"

"Well without me you'll never find out what happened to you over the last two years, and because at the present moment in time you are in my custody."

"I am not in anybodies custody!" She snapped back.

"Fine," Sark replied levelly. "In my care." The calm in Sark's voice angered Sydney no end. She hated how emotional she could become around him, how angry, and still he appeared to be as calm as he ever was. "Sydney, to make this…partnership work, we both have to try." She gritted her teeth.

"Easier said than done Sark," she replied. "It's hard to forget what you've done to my friends and family in the past."

"I could say the same Ms. Bristow." Sydney looked back at him incredulously.

"That would actually mean caring for a person, which I know you can't possibly understand."

"Because I'm a cold blooded assassin?" Sark nodded. "I hope you will be able to see past that detail." He looked as if he would say more, but stopped.

"That small insignificant detail?" Sydney raised her eyebrow. Sark smiled slightly.

"Yes," he replied. Sydney was surprised at his reaction, so surprised that she grinned slightly as well. After a moment of them both smiling, Sark's features changed into the perfect emotionless mask that the world knew well.

"We should go," Sydney said as she saw the change. She grabbed her bag and went to leave the room.

"Sydney-" Sark began. She turned back to face him. He paused and shook his head, she looked at him for a few seconds more, seeing if he would say something and then strode out of the room.


	7. Swap

**Ok, I know that these chapters are a little short, sorry. I'm mainly just splitting it where the scenes change. The chapters will get longer when I have more written!**

_You're a fool,_ Sark mentally berated himself as he and Sydney entered the car that he had hired. He had almost ruined everything by telling her before she was ready for it. After they had shared that small smile he had felt a rush of what had once been. He had to be more careful. He concentrated on driving to the airport; he couldn't afford to dwell on the past, not until it was safe to. He knew Sydney kept glancing at him as if trying to figure something out, but he ignored that to the best of his ability. He sighed.

"We have to be careful in the airport," he told her. He had had enough of the silence.

"I know," she replied quietly.

"The CIA will no doubt be looking out for the two of us."

"I know."

"It would be best if we went in separately."

"But I thought we were going in together?"

"We were, but we cannot afford the CIA or the police finding us before we are ready." Sydney nodded slightly. It made sense, but then again they would still be spotted separately anyway. She told him this.

"I have planned for that," he told her, not taking his eyes off of the road. "I believe we can turn that to our advantage." The rest of the car journey passed in silence.

"I will go in first," Sark told her as he pulled the car into a space in the airport car park. "I have to finish up an arrangement. After checking in, go to the nearest women's room, a girl will follow you in there. She will say 'I think you've dropped your sunglasses' you need to reply 'I get through about seven pairs in an airport.' Afterwards you need to change clothing et cetera then use the door marked no entry. Will you remember all of this?"

"Yes," She replied, committing the phrases to memory. "But what arrangement do you need to finish?"

"Trust me," he told her before exiting the car. She sighed and waited. After 20 minutes she too got out of the car, got her suitcase from the boot of the car and went into the airport. The check in queue was short and she was finished there after a few minutes. She glanced around and found the toilets; she walked straight over there and went in. After glancing around again she headed for the mirror and pulled a hair brush out of her bag. As she began to brush her blonde hair, still in the pony tail, she saw a girl walk into the toilets. She ignored her as she walked over and stared at her reflection in the mirror.

"Hey, I think you've dropped your sunglasses," she said, fixing Sydney's reflection with a piercing gaze.

"I get through about seven pairs in an airport," Sydney replied smiling. The girl nodded.

"Get into that cubicle and pass your clothing and wig under the gap, I will do the same." Sydney nodded and did as she was told. After a few minutes, she left the cubicle and looked into the mirror; she was now wearing what the girl had been wearing: cord trousers and a bright red shirt. Her hair was now black and curly, with a fringe that went over her eyes. The girl came out after her. "Right now, give me your passport and tickets."

"What?"

"Just give them to me," she ordered, one hand reached out ready to take them, while the other brought out another passport and ticket to give to Sydney. Sydney caught onto what was happening and they swapped. Sydney looked at the name in the passport.

"Jenna Silver," she read aloud.

"That's me, now it's you. Sorry about your sunglasses," she replied, and with one firm glance at the door behind Sydney she left the room. Sydney looked at the door that Jenna had looked at and saw it was the door she had to go through. She quickly did and followed the passage behind it. She exited through the door at the end of the passage and saw Sark waiting for her. He smiled at her and beckoned her over.

"There you are Sweety," he called in a Southern accent. She grinned and walked over to her. She knew they had to be convincing.

"Sorry I took so long," she replied in a new accent, matching his. She kissed his cheek in greeting. Inwardly she was horrified that she had had to do that.

"That's ok, but we need to catch our flight," he told her. They left the room the busy corridor they had been in and walked into a smaller room with nobody but a flight attendant in. "Ah, Gabby," he greeted in his normal voice. "I trust we are ready." The woman nodded.

"Yes we just need to get you two on board." Sark nodded back and led Sydney out of the door behind Gabby.


	8. Sark and Thorne

Sydney shifted position in her seat. By far it was the comfiest seat she had had the pleasure of having on an aeroplane, but it was tainted by the fact that it was Sark's private plane. It struck her as unfair that she worked hard to catch people like him and yet they would always be richer than her. She opened her eyes and saw Sark across the plane looking at some documents. She had worked with people she loathed before, but this was differed. She knew that in the past she had never had a choice, but now she did and she had chosen to work with the murdering Brit. _Only to get answers,_ she reminded herself. Yet part of her enjoyed his company, she felt freer than she had for a while. He was a match for her wit and her skills. She didn't trust him, but she knew that he could help her. Sark noticed her stir and looked up.

"Finally awake I see," he greeted. She shrugged and stretched.

"How long was I out?" she asked.

"Almost five hours, we are almost at our destination." Sydney looked puzzled at the length of their journey. "I had the pilot fly a more discreet route. We will land in a private airport.

"You're taking a lot of precautions," she replied.

"Well the CIA won't just sit down and watch as their best agent turns rogue with one of America's Most Wanted."

"True, but I haven't gone rogue…not really. I'm not working against them."

"That's not how the government works, Sydney. They almost locked you up for being part of that prophecy." Sydney remembered and shuddered. He was right.

"I get the point. How will we enter the Doctor's facility?"

"I was thinking of just walking in the front door. How do you feel about becoming Julia Thorne again?"

"I don't even know that character."

"I can guide you, I met her."

"Fine, if it will help."

"It will, but you'll have to turn blonde again."

"I was blonde?" Sydney asked. She didn't know why she cared, but she had thought it was one small alias, not Julia's 'natural' colour.

"You were, and English."

"Did I sound as pompous as you?" Sark threw her a look but nodded. "Great."

"This isn't going to be easy Sydney."

"It never is," she replied levelly.

"I know, but you're going to have to fool everyone again. I think we should say that your going back to the CIA was a mission I had for you."

"Would that be believable?"

"It should work."

"Doesn't that mean that you did more than just meet me the once?"

"Not necessarily," Sark replied. "At one point I orchestrated missions for the Covenant, just minor ones."

"So it wouldn't be unusual for you to send me on a mission?" Sark sighed; he knew where this was heading. "You sent me to kill people? Your father?"

"I had nothing to do with that," he replied calmly. "The Covenant knew about my inheritance. I didn't until they demanded it."

"But the others…"

"Some, yes, but believe me it was for the best." Sydney glared at him in disbelief. Gabby walked into the main plane area and whispered something to Sark before leaving from the same door she came through.

"What was that about?" Sydney asked.

"She told me we are fifteen minutes away and that it would be a good idea to change again." What Sark withheld was that the CIA had apprehended Jenna. It was something he would share with her later, when there wasn't a chance to feel guilty. Sydney reacted emotionally, he knew that. Sydney nodded and stood up slowly.

"I don't have anything to change into," she told him.

"I have taken care of everything," he informed her. Sydney noticed then a neatly folded pile of clothing on an empty chair. "There is a new wig in the cupboard in the bathroom." Sydney nodded again, slightly embarrassed that she hadn't been prepared. She picked up the pile and went to the toilet cubicle. As she had expected, the wig was a long blonde wig, down to the middle of her back. She swapped wigs and quickly changed into the smart black trousers, black roller neck top and a beige coat. She exited the cubicle and saw Sark had changed into one of his a darker pair of jeans and a black shirt. Gabby re-entered the room and told them both to prepare to land. Sydney obeyed and put her seatbelt on firmly. Sark mirrored her movements with his own.

* * *

They went straight from the plane to the Doctor's hidden facility. Sark made the excuse that the CIA, or more specifically, Jack, would have figured out their plan and would be expecting them. Sydney agreed that the CIA would be onto them, but she didn't know what to expect when they came face to face. They entered the nightclub and found it to be full of people. Sydney felt overdressed for the visit to the club but soon forgot as Sark pointed towards the owner. Sydney followed his gaze and saw that it was a different man to the owner she had met. Sark led the way over to the enclosed VIP area. The man guarding the room raised his hand to stop them.

"We need a word with your boss," Sark told the man.

"He is busy," the guard replied in German. Sydney peered over his shoulder.

"Yes, we can see that," she said fluently. The owner was in the company of a few girls almost half his age. "Tell him that we can make him happier than they ever could," she finished with a wink and pushed him gently towards his boss. The man obediently relayed the message to the boss. He looked over at Sark and Sydney curiously and beckoned them in.

"Now what can I do for you?" he asked in a thick voice.

"You can lose the girls for a start," Sydney replied with a flawless English accent.

"Why should I? What is in it for me?" Sydney glanced at Sark and proceeded.

"Well, I know you like beautiful people, and what can I say, you won't find anyone more beautiful than the two of us." The man bowed his head after looking them both up and down. Sydney glanced at Sark again and saw that he was uncomfortable, not visibly, but in his eyes she could see the unease. She turned her gaze on the boss again and smiled seductively.

"I cannot argue with that," he replied. He motioned for the girls to leave and laughed. "I am Mr Stein, but please call me Hans."

"This is Julia, and I am Sark," Sark replied, speaking for the first time.

"Now you said that you could make me a happy man," Hans enquired. Sark shared a look at Sydney and smiled.

"You could definitely say that," Sydney replied sweetly. "Is there anywhere more private?" She glanced around the club. She knew full well there was, there was a whole secret lab hidden behind the club.

"Shy are we?"

"We work better without prying eyes," Sark told Hans. Sydney almost laughed when she saw Sark laid a hand on the man's leg.

"I see," Hans replied, obviously happy. "Well then, this way please." He stood up and held his hands out to the pair. They both accepted and rose gracefully after him. Hans led the way into a back room. As the Sydney shut the door, Sark pulled out his gun. It was only a tranq. gun at Sydney's request.

"Don't turn around Mr Stein," Sydney ordered sweetly.

"Is this part of the game?"

"Unfortunately, you could never afford us," Sark replied dryly. "Now give us the access codes to the lab."

"What lab?" Stein replied.

"The lab downstairs," Sydney said slowly.

"I don't know any codes," Stein said. "It is my second night, I do not know."

"Say goodbye Mr Stein," Sark ordered before pulling the trigger.

"This way," Sydney said quickly, and pulled Sark through the door to their left. "Was it really worth the fuss?"

"Yes, we have to get our names, well Julia's name, back onto the radar. The Covenant will hear about this and contact us."


	9. The Doctor

I apologise for the massive gap between posts. I had pretty much given up with posting things (it got a bit harder to juggle around uni) but here is some I still had on my laptop. I haven't read it through properly for a while so I am sorry for any errors. Please let me know if there are any...

* * *

On the other side of the Atlantic, Dixon paced in his office. He glanced over at Jack Bristow – the only other occupant of the room.

"Tell me again what she said," he ordered from the older man. Jack shot him a look, but replied evenly.

"She mentioned a deal with Sark, something about finding out about her missing two years."

"But she didn't say that she had accepted the offer?"

"No, but-" Jack began.

"So it is possible that she has been captured?"

"Well, in theory yes. Dixon, I know my daughter, she has accepted this deal." Dixon frowned. If that was true then the situation would become a lot more complicated than it already was. If it was the simple case of Sark kidnapping Sydney, then Dixon had many skilled operatives to get her back. Black and white. But if she had willingly gone with the terrorist then it made matters more difficult. It wasn't as clear cut. Dixon appreciated the fact that Sydney needed to know about her lost years, but to ally herself with Sark would be seen as treasonous. It would mean that they would be tasked at capturing both Sydney and Sark. Dixon nodded at Jack.

"I don't know what to do Jack," Dixon replied frankly.

"It is a delicate situation. We cannot let it become common knowledge that Sydney may have allied herself with Mr Sark - which means that the NSC can't find out." He looked pointedly at Dixon.

"So we can't include Vaughn?"

"It is not advisable," Jack replied.

"Then how should we proceed?" Dixon asked, he was truly at a loss. "Vaughn and Weiss are still in Europe."

"Call them back in," Jack suggested. "Leave our extraction team at the airport where they picked up the girl they thought was Sydney. Just in case it was a decoy and they arrive later."

"Have we got anything more from her?"

"She says that her name is Harriet Monroe," Jack replied. "That she had no idea that her passport wasn't her own. She assumes that it must have been swapped on the plane or in the gate."

"It's plausible if it was Sydney, we know she could do it."

"Yes, I would agree if she were not wearing the outfit Sydney is recorded wearing." Dixon nodded. He agreed with Jack. "And if Sydney had swapped passports we would be able to locate a Harriet Monroe, but we haven't been able to." Both men glanced at each other. They were silent for a few minutes, each weighing up their options.

"We are in a difficult position."

"I think I should go out to Europe," Jack announced. Dixon met his gaze. "I think I know where they would go first."

"Alright Jack," Dixon replied. "We will try and keep this quiet for as long as possible. If you don't find her within a week then we will have to take action." Jack nodded and rose to his feet. "I want to hear any news you get." Dixon added as Jack opened the door.

* * *

Sydney was surprised how easily they were able to get into the secret lab area. She had instructed Sark before they got off of the plane that they would need a device to disarm the alarm system. Sark had obliged and once they had left the airport, one of Sark's numerous staff handed her the device she needed. Now she used it to get into the lab, remembering what happened last time. Although it was less of a problem if the alarm went off than it had been before, Sydney still felt it a wise precaution to do it anyway. She had been surprised with how well she worked with Sark in this instance. She had begrudgingly worked with him before, back in SD-6, but it was different now. Now they were here for her. Despite the fact that he had an ulterior motive to getting her memories back. She was here by her own choice now, which, she noted, was an unusual experience. They worked well together, as Sark had long since hinted at, they were equals. Both spies were skilled beyond their average peers.

"Right, it's just through here," Sydney announced as they turned down a long corridor. She nodded as they approached a door to their left. Sark stopped in front of it and pulled out his gun. Sydney did the same and they both got ready. Sydney nodded and pushed the door open. Immediately their nostrils were assaulted by the smell of rotten flesh. Sydney entered the room and saw that it was exactly how she had left it. The body of the Doctor Sydney had killed was on the floor where he fell when she shot him.

"Oleg Madrczyk," Sark stated.

"That's his name?" Sydney asked, her eyes not leaving the prone body. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sark nod. "And he knew all the answers. Son of a bit-"

"No, he knew how it began, why you were kidnapped," Sark cut in. "I do not believe he knew what happened after you began working." Sydney acknowledged this when she met Sark's eyes. She looked around the room again.

"There doesn't seem to be a filing cabinet or anything in here," she told him. "His office must be close." She headed towards the door and peered out. She noticed a door to her right on the other side of the corridor. "I'm gonna check that room out." Without waiting for Sark to reply she walked out to the other door. To her surprise it was open. She pushed it open with one hand, while the other held her gun. She mentally swore as the three occupants of the room swung round and pulled their own guns out. She backed out and fired a few shots at them, before hiding around the doorframe. Sark came running to her side as he heard the shots.

"How many," he asked.

"I saw three, but more will come," she guessed. He nodded, then as one they both moved into the doorway and fired. They moved deeper into the large office and watched as the men scattered and ducked behind the furniture. She hurried over to the nearest man and aimed a kick at the hand holding the gun. She successfully disarmed him and punched him. The man countered with a blow to the stomach and used the moment she has doubled over to pull her hair and slam her into the wall. She ducked as he went to punch her across the face and rolled out of the way. As he turned around she round house kicked his face, knocking him out. She saw Sark was doing the same with the other two men across the room. She jumped onto the desk and turned her jump into a kick at the closest man. The force alone knocked him into the corner of a metal cabinet. He shrank to the ground just as Sark elbowed the third man in the temple. He looked up at her, breathing deeply. She smiled at him. She loved the adrenaline rush that came with winning a fight. Sark smiled back and walked over to the filing cabinet. He pulled the first drawer open and flicked through the documents inside.

"These are all blank pages," he told her incredulously. Sydney's eyes widened as she looked over his shoulder.

"What about the next drawer," she asked. She moved to the next filing cabinet and checked in there.

"This one is empty of everything," Sark told her, pushing the drawer back in and opening the next one. "As is this one." Sydney was in a similar situation with her filing cabinet.

"They must have been expecting us," she replied. "But how? And who?"

"I didn't recognise the men as Covenant," Sark informed her.

"They weren't CIA," Sydney agreed. "NSA?"

"It is possible," Sark nodded. "What's that?" Sydney glanced down to see what Sark was looking at. It was a single piece of paper in the bottom drawer. She picked it up and turned it over. There was an address scrawled on the corner of it.

"It's in Italy," Sydney informed him, she showed him the address.

"Rome, if I'm not mistaken," Sark agreed.

"But why is it here, and why is it the only piece of paper that's written on?" Sydney questioned aloud.

"And is it a trap," he added to her list of questions. Sydney memorised the address and put it in her pocket – later she would burn it.

"We should get out of here," Sydney said as she heard a door slam in the distance. She shut the filing cabinet drawer.

"One second," Sark replied. He moved over to the desk and went through the drawers there. He pocketed a few sheaves of paper and nodded at her. "Let's go." They moved as one towards the door. Sark looked around the door and motioned for her to follow him. They ran down the corridor and followed the 'Exit' signs. Sydney heard footsteps chasing them and ran even faster. They turned a corner and saw the fire exit in front of them. A shot went off behind them; Sark pulled Sydney behind him and fired off a few shots of his own. The men behind them moved behind the corner and they used the opportunity to run through the exit. They carried on running until they reached the car Sark had parked nearby. They slid into the seats and Sark accelerated quickly. Sydney glanced back in time to see the men that had pursued them emerge onto the road and fire at their tires. They missed and the car flew round the corner.


End file.
